About the job

Job summary

You will play a key role in supporting and developing organisation-wide strategic direction and planning. You will be conducting analysis of emerging trends and issues to drive evidence-based decision making. Crucially, you will also be researching, advising on and implementing new tools and systems to automate and fine-tune this process. This role requires an astute, resourceful, and forward-thinking individual, with a problem-solving mindset and the ability to leverage software and analytics to shape strategy. 

About the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)

We help people, businesses, and the UK economy by promoting competitive markets and tackling unfair behaviour. Our work is wide ranging, ambitious and often new and challenging.

The Advocacy, Nations and External Relations team is the CMA’s centre for stakeholder engagement. A core part of its work involves providing advice and recommendations to the UK government and the devolved administrations.

What we can offer you

The CMA is a hugely diverse, rewarding and stimulating place to work – an opportunity to work for the public good and to stretch and develop yourself in doing so. We offer generous benefits, including an excellent pension scheme with an average employer contribution of 27%, at least 25 days leave (increasing to 30 over five years), and generous maternity/paternity leave provision. You can also take advantage of interest-free season ticket loans, a cycle to work scheme, our employee assistance programme, and our extensive flexible working options.

To find out more about this opportunity and about working for the CMA, please click on the APPLY button.

CMA – Working for the CMA , Civil Service Careers (civil-service-careers.gov.uk)

Or our LinkedIn page:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/competition-and-markets-authority/

Closing date: 11.55pm on Monday 26th February 2024.

Job description

As Assistant Director of Strategy, you will be responsible for:

Overarching 

• Advising senior leadership on strategic direction  
• Leading and managing strategic initiatives and programmes 
• Developing analytical and data-driven insights and plans 
• Developing, benchmarking, monitoring, and reporting of information and assessment frameworks (landscape analysis, risk assessment, key performance indicators) 
• Driving digital transformation within the function, dovetailing with wider organisational initiatives 
• Oversee a team responsible for research, data, and strategic analysis 
• Manage the prioritization and allocation of tasks within the strategy and insights team. 
• Foster a culture of continuous learning and improvement within the unit. 

 

Research & Intelligence Gathering 

• Lead ongoing scanning and evaluation of the CMA’s operating environment to identify and track key parameters impacting our strategic direction and priorities.  
• Establish and manage better systems and processes to gather data-driven insights, including through horizon-scanning and futures tools. 
• Conduct and commission quantitative and qualitative research to inform strategic decision-making. 
• Collaborate and coordinate with colleagues across CMA and the wider public sector to ensure full use is made of all available tools, resources, and best practices. 
   

Evaluating and Presenting Insights 

• Develop and manage tools and processes to deliver periodic intelligence briefings for the organisation. 
• Distil and present strategic insights and recommendations to senior leadership and other stakeholders in a clear and actionable manner (including use of presentations, reports, and data visualisation tools). 

 

Benchmarking and Monitoring 

• Help to refine key parameters for benchmarking and monitoring, making use of appropriate tools and processes to carry out these activities. 
• Continuously assess execution of strategic plans and initiatives, communicating progress and proposed actions to senior management. 
• Regularly stress test existing strategies and assumptions against emerging trends and potential scenarios.  

Strategic Planning, Development and Delivery 

• Support senior leadership in establishing strategic priorities, goals, and roadmaps. 
• Leverage understanding of opportunities and risks to deliver ongoing, actionable strategic advice and activities. 
• Design and facilitate annual strategic planning processes. 
• Manage special projects and strategic initiatives. 
• Partner with cross-functional teams to ensure alignment on strategic goals. 

 

Stakeholder Engagement: 

• Design and manage stakeholder engagement programmes, including relationship tracking and programmed activities to foster relationships with key public, private, and third sector stakeholders.  
• Facilitate regular meetings as well as workshops, focus groups, and other stakeholder engagement activities. 
• Build strong relationships and partnerships with internal teams to gather data and insights, including creating and managing processes to achieve this activity most efficiently.  

 

Continuous Improvement 

• Map and evaluate strategy development and execution frameworks across the public sector to inform best practice. 
• Stay abreast of evolving analytical tools, methodologies, and skills to enhance the quality and depth of insights. 
• Evaluate and recommend enhancements to the effectiveness and efficiency of strategy development within the team and broader organisation (including tools, systems, processes, skills, and resourcing). 

Person specification

It is essential that you can provide evidence and examples for each of the following selection criteria in your application: 

 

Essential 

• Experience of using futures techniques and tools and cross-organisational horizon-scanning (Lead Criteria) 
• Ability to manage complex projects and lead cross-functional teams, including knowledge of project management tools and software (Lead Criteria) 
• Graduate degree in economics, public policy, data science, business strategy, or related field; and/or significant experience of strategy and/or consulting experience 
• Strong research and analytical skills with proficiency in data analysis tools and software. 
• Strong critical thinking and problem solving and ability to exert influence and drive change in challenging environments. 
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, able to distil complex concepts. 
• Experience of successfully delivering organisational change and/or digital transformation projects 
• Collaborative team player with strong experience of building high quality relationships with key internal and external stakeholders and using these relationships to progress outcomes; 

 

Desirable but not required: 

• Passion for our organisational purpose and strong commitment to working in the public interest. 
• Knowledge of government decision-making and regulatory policy processes.  
• Knowledge of competition and/or consumer law and regulatory processes. 
• Proven ability to translate insights into strategic recommendations. 
• Line management experience – this post is likely to include some line management responsibilities. 

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £66,705, Competition & Markets Authority contributes £18,010 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV, personal statement and an online application form. Further details about application requirements are listed on the application form.

The selection process will comprise of the sift (CV & application review) and an interview. Arrangements for the interview will be enclosed in the invitation. 

Please note that interviews will be held on Microsoft Teams, or in-person at a CMA office.

Please note that it is essential that your personal statement is aligned to provide evidence that you have the knowledge and experience for each of the following selection criteria (as included on the role profile) in your application:

• Experience of using futures techniques and tools and cross-organisational horizon-scanning (Lead Criteria) 
• Ability to manage complex projects and lead cross-functional teams, including knowledge of project management tools and software (Lead Criteria) 
• Graduate degree in economics, public policy, data science, business strategy, or related field; and/or significant experience of strategy and/or consulting experience 
• Strong research and analytical skills with proficiency in data analysis tools and software. 
• Strong critical thinking and problem solving and ability to exert influence and drive change in challenging environments. 
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, able to distil complex concepts. 
• Experience of successfully delivering organisational change and/or digital transformation projects 
• Collaborative team player with strong experience of building high quality relationships with key internal and external stakeholders and using these relationships to progress outcomes; 

The role will close at 11:55pm on Monday 26th February 2024.

The sift will take place between 27th February - 1 March.

If your application is successful, you will be invited to attend an interview. You will be notified via email to log-in to your Civil Service Account and book your interview slot. You will be sent an email with full details of your arrangements for interview.

Interviews will be held week commencing 11th March. There is 1 interview stage for this role.

The first part of the interview will comprise of a 5-10 minute presentation. Details will be forwarded to you before the interview. The second part of the interview will be a 30 - 45 minute panel interview where you will be asked questions based on the Behaviours and Experience outlined in the role profile.

Reasonable adjustments

We want to make sure no one is at a disadvantage during our recruitment process because of a disability, condition or impairment. To assist you with this, we will reduce or remove any barriers where possible and provide additional support where appropriate.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need during the recruitment process.  You can also email recruitment@cma.gov.uk.

For example, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you are deaf, a Language Service Professional. You might also require additional time to complete a timed assessment or a sign language interpreter to support with the relaying of information.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.